DETROIT, MI – An indictment charging 24 members of a large-scale narcotics organization from the Ravendale neighborhood on Detroit’s east side was unsealed on Friday, August 7th, 2015, United States Attorney Barbara L. McQuade announced.

The indictment also charges six of the defendants with participating in an extensive illegal dogfighting ring. The indictment allege that these defendants acquired, bred and trained dogs for dogfights in Detroit.

The indictment alleges that the group used 16 different houses, most of them abandoned, in and around the Ravendale neighborhood to distribute heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine during the past last several years. During that period, various law enforcement agencies have seized drugs, firearms and distribution paraphernalia in many of these abandoned houses. Through their joint investigative efforts, federal, state and local law enforcement agencies were able to connect this evidence to the larger distribution ring.

Among those charged in the indictment unsealed today are:

Damon Burnett, 36, of Detroit, charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession of firearms in furtherance of narcotics trafficking, and possession of a firearm by a felon;

Maurice Littles, 44, of Jackson, charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and conspiracy to sponsor and exhibit an animal fighting venture;

Eric Edmon, 42, of Roseville, charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances;

Erik Carter, 39, of Detroit, charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances;

Derek Carter, 39, of Detroit, charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances;

Daron Calhoun, 35, of Detroit, charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances;

Stevie Bridgeman, 36, of Detroit, charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances;

Clyde Woodson, 47, of Detroit, charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances;

Pierre Livingston, 43, of Detroit, charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and conspiracy to sponsor and exhibit an animal fighting venture;

Marcus Bradford, 44, of Southfield, charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and conspiracy to sponsor and exhibit an animal fighting venture;

Brian Williams, 35, of Detroit, charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and conspiracy to sponsor and exhibit an animal fighting venture;

Ivin Booth, 40, of Pontiac, charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances;

Shajuana Barnes, 26, of Roseville, charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances;

Latrina Hamilton, 35, of Detroit, charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances;

Eugene Jackson, 29, of Monroe, charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances;

Renee Jackson, 40, of Monroe, charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances; and

Edward Wilson, 26, of Detroit, charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.

“Large-scale, armed drug trafficking organizations that operate out of homes in residential areas create an unacceptable risk of violence to our neighborhoods,” McQuade said. “Dogfighting not only exposes animals to torture for human amusement, but it also poses a safety hazard for residents living in our community when dogs are trained to attack.”

“We are extremely proud of the outstanding work done today by our agents and law enforcement partners, which is the result of long-term efforts to counter violent crime, illegal drugs, and organized criminal activity,” said Paul Abbate, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office. “The success and impact of this joint effort is an example of our continued commitment together to ensure public safety and protect the citizens we serve in the city and the metropolitan area.”

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Violent Gang Task Force, consisting of representatives of the Detroit Police Department, Michigan State Police, Michigan Department of Corrections, and Homeland Security Investigations, led the investigation.